Inside door release linkage?

[lutronjim]

My 70 C10 SS driver door suddenly wouldn't open with the inside handle. I pulled the panel expecting the linkage to be broken but all looked good.

At a whim, I pushed down on the rod going to the latch and the door opened. The rod has 2 bends in it and I assumed it stretched. With 2 pair of vise grips I added some more bend and solved the problem.

My question is - why isn't the rod straight which would avoid the bends losing shape. It appears that the rod could go straight to the latch from the lever bell crank without hitting anything. Wondering if rod is not original.

See pic